"It's one day of ascetic living where you brush up against your own mortality," he said about the 25-hour fast from food and hours of prayers.

Yom Kippur is the 10th day of the month of Tishrei. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashana, the first day, is the Jewish new year and the 10 days that begin with it and end on Yom Kippur are called the "Days of Awe," Hurvitz said.

"During these 10 days it is a time of self-examination and taking personal inventory," Hurvitz said. The goal of these days and of Yom Kippur is to lead better, more moral lives, not only for oneself but also for others, he said.

Sunday evening is often referred to as Kol Nidre, Aramaic for "all vows," after the declaration of prayer on the first evening of Yom Kippur. It's a plea to God to disregard any vows taken during emergencies throughout the year, Hurvitz said.

"If in a moment of panic I take a vow that I can't keep, please don't listen to me," he explained.

He said it's believed Kol Nidre became common during the Spanish Inquisition in the 1400s when the Roman Catholic Church forcibly converted Jews. Hurvitz said many of those Jews would sneak away to synagogues on Yom Kippur to pray for God to forgive them for converting because they had no choice.

Asa Fradkin, 28, the cantor at Temple Sholom, said his earliest memories of Yom Kippur were attending services with his grandparents Stanley and Gaye Fradkin in his hometown of Baltimore, Md.

"There would be thousands of people there," he said about Jews who would crowd into the synagogues on Yom Kippur.

"You are coming every year asking for forgiveness. It's admitting to ourselves that we are not perfect," said Fradkin, who leads the congregation in songful prayer. "It's a time of really taking stock of our lives -- a soul check."

Josh Altman, 24, youth director at Temple Sholom, said his role is to impart onto younger members the day's central role in Jewish life.

"There is certainly a burden on my shoulders to impress on teens how this day is significant and can be important to them," he said. "The challenge is getting them beyond just coming (to Temple Sholom). It's getting them to engage with the day."

Hurvitz said the end of Yom Kippur is a joyful time. As it ends he walks out of the synagogue and strikes the first nail into a sukka, a temporary building, in a tradition that emphasizes that prayer must be combined with action, he said.

"You are immediately emerging out of your fast and embracing the world and engaging the world," he said. "You are going out into the world and building something."

Staff Writer Frank MacEachern can be reached at frank.maceachern@scni.com or 203-625-4434.